Edinburgh keep URC play-off hopes alive with win at Connacht

Edinburgh kept their BKT United Rugby Championship play-off hopes alive with a vital 31-21 victory over Connacht at Dexcom Stadium.

Charlie Shiel’s superb 72nd-minute bonus-point try proved decisive for Sean Everitt’s side, who host Ulster next week. They are now ninth overall and just three points behind Cardiff.

Pierre Schoeman celebrated his British and Irish Lions selection with a seventh-minute try, and Hamish Watson added the second for a 14-0 half-time.

Results elsewhere meant Connacht were out of top-eight contention, but a Finn Treacy brace drew them level by the 52nd minute.

After Ben Muncaster and Shayne Bolton had swapped scores, Shiel scampered over and Ben Healy added a late penalty as Edinburgh won three matches in a row in Ireland for the first time.

Converting some early pressure into points, Ali Price fed prop Schoeman to power over and player-of-the-match Ross Thompson converted.

Connacht captain Cian Prendergast had a try ruled out for obstruction, and Edinburgh were clinical when Thompson and Jack Brown combined to send Watson darting down the left touchline to score with a neat dummy.

Now two converted scores behind, Connacht continued to come up against a brick wall, with Marshall Sykes bringing down Bundee Aki and gaining a turnover penalty.

A brilliant Bolton break ignited the westerners on the restart, the momentum leading to fellow winger Treacy going over on the left for JJ Hanrahan to convert.

That connection worked again in the 51st minute, with Ben Murphy supplying his second assist for Treacy to double his tally. Hanrahan kicked Connacht level.

Despite losing Mosese Tuipulotu to injury, Edinburgh hit back by the hour mark. Flanker Muncaster scored from Price’s inviting pass, and Thompson made it 21-14 from the tee.

Responding in the 65th minute, Santiago Cordero’s nicely-floated pass sent Bolton over in the right corner. Hanrahan coolly converted to square things up once more.

However, replacement scrum-half Shiel broke from a ruck, 60 metres out, to land a killer blow for a more composed Edinburgh. Healy converted and then fired home his penalty for the insurance score.